Abstract: A backlight for liquid crystal displays which includes several closely spaced lamps and a sculptured optic element disposed behind the lamps wherein, the sculptured optic element has a reflective back side and a partially reflective front side and an optically transmissive medium disposed there between. The optic element being sculptured so as to direct light rays emanating from the back of the lamps and from the side of the lamps in a direction away from colliding with other lamps and in a direction toward the median surface. The optic element essentially gathers light from behind and between the lamps and directs it in a direction toward the viewing surface.

Abstract: A communications detector for detecting remote user hang-up or disconnection by a telephone answering machine (TAM). The remote hang-up detector (RHUD) may operate in conjunction with a modem and does not affect transmission and receipt of modem signals and modem performance. An optically isolated voltage detector indicates to the TAM that the remote user has hung up by detecting reversal or interruption of the loop current supplied by the central office, thereby causing the local user or modem to likewise hang up.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display optical component stack-up is created with reduced defects typically caused by adhesive materials used to attach optical components to the liquid crystal display. A layer of silicone gel is positioned between a surface of the liquid crystal display and a surface of a first optical component. The layer of silicone gel attaches the first optical component to the liquid crystal display such that strain on the liquid crystal display is minimized.

Abstract: An audio communications interface 102 provides substantially automatic audio communications between a remote agent telephone 107 and a telephonic switch 104 through a telephonic console 106 connected to the telephonic switch 104. A remote agent dials a specified telephone number on the agent telephone 107 to access the audio communications interface 102. The audio communications interface 102 receives the dialed number from a telephone network 108 connected to the agent telephone 107 and generates a call signal which is transmitted to the telephonic switch 104 through the telephonic console 106. In response to the call signal, the telephonic switch 104 establishes audio communications with the agent telephone 107 through the console 106 and audio communications interface 102. A method for establishing audio communications through the audio communications interface 102 and data communications through an agent terminal 112, a computer network and a host computer 110 with the telephonic switch 104 is provided.

Abstract: An automatic call distributor (ACD) for routing application, external position and internal position telephone calls to one of a plurality of agents is disclosed. Priority levels of the different types of calls are selectively assigned for each individual agent and can be changed as desired. When a plurality of incoming calls having different call types are received concurrently for a particular agent, the call of the call type having the highest priority as determined for the particular agent is connected to the particular agent first.

Abstract: A system 100 and method for interconnecting a remote computer 102 and a computer service provider 104 via a telephonic switch 122 is provided. The telephonic switch 122 connects the remote computer 102 to the computer service provider 104 based on information received from the remote computer 102. An adult material circuit 126 in the telephonic switch 122 detects a request from the remote computer 102 to prohibit access to adult material available on the computer service provider 104. The request may be contained in automatic number identification information or dialed number identification service information. The telephonic switch 122 further comprises a caller prompting circuit 132 which prompts the remote computer 102 for instructions regarding whether to deny access to adult material.

Abstract: A method for real-time data exchange between an RF modem of a mobile data terminal and a base station host computer of a mobile radio-frequency data communications network is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the data exchange timing architecture of the present invention reduces message error rates by accurately predicting signal presence by using a modem hosted by the central processing unit of a mobile data terminal. RF network signal synchronization is improved through precise prediction of the likelihood of message presence, a method that significantly reduces message errors triggered by inadvertent synchronization on signal noise.

Abstract: A monitoring system (200) and method for an automatic call distributor (100) which selectively interconnects an incoming telephone call from a caller and one of a plurality of agents are provided. The monitoring system (200) detects a length of time the agent is talking and a length of time the caller is talking during the incoming telephone call. Pauses in the incoming telephone call are timed, as is the length of time of the total incoming telephone call. The automatic call distributor (100) contains a first bus (204) on which voice signals from the agent to the caller are transmitted and a second bus (208) on which voice signals from the caller to the agent are transmitted. A digital signal processor (210) monitors the first and second busses (204) and (208) to detect voice signals from the agent and the caller, respectively. The detected information regarding the incoming telephone call is reported to the agent and/or supervisory personnel.

Abstract: An RLG OPTICAL NOISE INJECTOR places a random signal on a PZT driving one mirror controlling the optical path length (OPL) of a ring laser gyro (RLG) and the negative of the signal on a PZT driving a second mirror controlling the OPL. The OPL is therefore maintained constant while injecting random noise into the phase of the counterpropagating beams to avoid dynamic lock-in. Static lock-in may also be avoided by superposing an oscillatory signal on the random signal fed to the first PZT and the negative of the oscillatory signal on the random signal fed to the second PZT.

Abstract: An alarm notification system 100 and method for automatically reporting an alarm condition related to a telephonic switch 102 to a remote communications device, such as a display unit 104 or a paging unit 106, is provided. The system 100 may communicate with the display unit 104 and/or the paging unit 106 through a modem 115 and a network 114. Alternatively, a paging circuit 128 may provide cellular communications with the paging unit 106 and/or the display unit 104. An alarm sensing circuit 116 senses an alarm condition. Alarm conditions are defined and modified by an alarm setting circuit 118. After an alarm condition is sensed, an alarm notification circuit detects and logs various alarm information relating to the sensed alarm condition. The alarm notification circuit automatically transmits the alarm information to the remote communications device.

Abstract: An altimeter is disclosed which includes an arcuate top portion and an arcuate bottom portion. Side portions connect the arcuate top portion to the arcuate bottom portion. The side portions have a curvature less than a curvature of the top portion or the bottom portion, thus giving the altimeter a narrower footprint while preserving important features of conventional dial-type altimeters. An indicator moves about the perimeter of the altimeter based on altitude information, thus displaying altitude of the aircraft.

Abstract: A low-power stop mode "snooze" timer is implemented in the processing unit of a communication system, which runs without the use of the usual crystal-controlled oscillator. The "snooze" timer is implemented by a second oscillator with associated timer circuit. The second oscillator runs continually and feeds a timer which is loaded with a suitable value. The timer, when timed out or expired, will reactivate the main processing functions, thus allowing the successful reception of an external signal from a remote transmission source. To compensate for the inaccuracy of the second oscillator due to its dependence upon voltage, process and temperature, the snooze timer's output is calibrated during the wake-up periods against a timing signal derived from the internal crystal-controlled timing source. This calibration compensates for the inherent frequency instability of the second oscillator and allows a timing signal of sufficient accuracy to be maintained over the stop cycle.

Abstract: An inertial reference system for determining the attitude and rate of change of attitude of a vehicle such as an aircraft is disclosed. Redundancy of the inertial reference system may be accomplished by replacement of one of the fiber optic gyroscopes of an otherwise dual fiber optic gyros installation with a low-cost reference IMU. Failure detection and isolation of a fiber optic gyroscope system may be accomplished with a low-cost reference IMU rather than with an additional fiber optic gyroscope. The information provided by the eliminated fiber optic gyroscope is synthesized from the output of the remaining fiber optic gyroscope and the output of the low-cost reference IMU.

Abstract: A method of providing redundancy in an electrically alterable memory divided into addressable blocks within the memory. The electrically alterable memory should have more available blocks than required by the firmware. The method includes the steps of testing the memory to create block status information about good versus bad blocks, writing the block status information into a table in the electrically alterable memory, reordering the table so that contiguous series of entries in the table point only to good blocks, and then providing a block status array comprising block select registers which are initialized with the corresponding ones of the contiguous series of entries so that a nominal address to a bad block is redirected to a good block.

Abstract: A high speed current sense amplifier useful in memory devices, which includes a current-to-voltage amplifier that is coupled to a voltage amplifier. The current-to-voltage amplifier has an input impedance that is lower than its output impedance. The voltage amplifier has an input impedance that is larger than the input impedance of the current-to-voltage amplifier. The current sense amplifier can sense the current relationship between two current inputs in about 200 pico-seconds. Embodiments of the current sense amplifier enable current sensing either near the power supply voltage or near ground, thus eliminating the need for intermediate voltages. Embodiments of the current sense amplifier draw current from the current inputs only during the 200 pico-second sensing time and does not require external latching circuitry.

Abstract: A video switching system 108 automatically establishes video communications between an agent terminal 110 and a video communications device 104. A telephonic switch, such as an automatic call distributor (ACD) 102, selects which agent terminal 110 receives the video communications and generates reports relating to the video communications. A programmable switch 105 receives an initial request from the video communications device 104 to establish video communications. A computer system 112 detects the initial request and instructs the ACD 102 to select the agent terminal 110 which is to receive the video communications. The ACD 102 selects the agent terminal 110, or an agent associated with the agent terminal 110, using known methods and transmits the selected agent terminal 110 to the computer system 112. The computer system 112 instructs the programmable switch 105 to route the video communications to the selected agent terminal 110.

Abstract: A nonlinear resistive network, which includes switches in the data paths, is provided for identifying, isolating, and/or rejecting outliers in a sensor image. During normal operation, images are received with all the switches in a closed (conducting) state. If the data at a given pixel is different from its immediate neighbors by a predetermined threshold voltage, its switch is opened. A readout of the state of all the switches in the network yields a map of points sources, and a readout of the network voltages yields a noise-free image. Because the threshold voltage can be controlled externally, various strategies may be implemented for identification of the outliers in a computer vision system.

Abstract: A call path system generates a graphical representation of a call path of a selected type of telephone call routed by a telephonic switch 100. An administrator computer system 110 includes a computer 112 and administrator display 114 for generating and displaying the graphical representation. The graphical representation may be a block diagram 200 consisting of telephone call type 202, application 204, scripts 206, agent group 208, agents/staff 210, supervisor 214 and a particular agent group I 212. Each of the blocks include available selections in the particular category. Such as a listing of agent groups 304, a listing of telephone types 300, a listing of available DNIS numbers 302 and a listing of agents/staff 306. The call path system further permits an administrator, via the administrator computer system 110 to select and any of the above. Applications may be modified such that the telephonic switch 100 thereafter routes telephone calls in accordance with the modified applications.

Abstract: A device for programming script sets in a telephone system having a network, a programmable routing vector to route incoming calls from the network, an application to selectively receive calls from the routing vector, a programmable application vector to selectively receive calls from the application, and a plurality of agent groups to selectively receive calls from the application.

Abstract: An automatic call distribution network (10) with an originating automatic call distributor (ACD) (12A) which transfers a received call to a destination ACD (12B) through an external telephonic network (24), a call overflow system (32) with a central processing unit (16A) at the originating ACD (12A) to compile data relating to an overflow call to be transmitted through the external telephonic network (24) to the destination ACT) (12B) of at least one of the types of information of: identification of a selected gate (26B) of the destination ACD (12B) to which the overflow call is to be routed, identification of the originating ACD (12A), a time information relating to a time the overflow call was in a queue at the originating ACD (12A), an ANI number representation of a telephone number of the call received at the originating ACD (12A) and a priority level of the overflow call, the central processing unit (16A) at the originating ACD (12A) sending the compiled data to the destination ACD (12B) to route the cal